One More Night
by StarsOfYaoi
Summary: *JohnRoseDaveJade, pre-relationship* Post-Sburb. Dave watches them sleep every night.


**SOY:** This is a rewritten version of my very first HS fanfic (a fill for the kink meme). I improved since that time, so I thought I'd work it out and publish it un-anon, and now I'm also posting it here :3 I hope you will like.

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**Rating**: Teen.

**Warnings:** post–Sburb, Beta kids centric.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own HomeStuck.

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**One More Night**

**One–shot**

The room is dark, with only a flicker of light coming from outside.

Dave has no idea if it's the moon or just a lamppost, but he's grateful for the soft light, because in the dark the room seems a bit too narrow, almost like it's closing in on him, making it hard to breathe.

With the stray ray, though, he can see where the walls end, and it's easier to keep his heartbeat under control.

When they move in together, at first, there are four bedrooms, one for each of them; after the first couple of nights when they can't sleep, though, they gravitate together almost unconsciously, until they end up sleeping in a makeshift pile next to John's bed.

Reluctantly, after a long talk, their guardians allow them to move into a bigger room, the beds neatly placed at each corner; they don't stay there long –none of them can sleep on their own anymore. That same night, the four push the beds together in the centre of the room.

Mattress against mattress, sharing blankets and pillows in a big, messy pile, they sleep together now, like a litter of lost, lonely puppies.

With slow, lethargic movements, Dave brings one hand up to his face and delicately removes his shades, placing them on the table. He rubs his eyes tiredly, cool palms a relief against burning eyelids, and when he blinks them open, his sight clears a bit.

Without the shades, it's easier to look at them.

John is sleeping on the left of the bed, comfortably curled up on his side, wearing his stupid pyjamas with the Ghostbusters logo; from where Dave is sitting, he can see him smile and mumble softly to himself.

He's probably dreaming of something silly, stupid, like kissing McConaghuway or whatever his name is.

Dave feels his lips twitch up in a small, fond smile, and indulges in it, knowing nobody is looking.

Jade is in the middle, sprawled in what looks like an extremely uncomfortable position, face-down on the bed, and Dave pretends not to look at the way her nightgown rides up to reveal a pair of Squiddles' panties.

Figures.

Rose is on the other side of the bed, looking so prime and proper even as she sleeps, lips parted, one hand underneath her head; she's dressed with frilly, pink pyjamas, and Dave knows she is only wearing them because Mom gave them to her.

It's not even because of her passive-aggressive war anymore, but simply because she's back, and that's all that matters for Rose.

Dave is still smiling, observing them all with heart full of fondness and warmth.

He knows that this kind of peace won't last long –soon, John will grunt and roll over in his sleep, searching for Jade's side to cuddle against, and Jade's hand will reach Rose's own to grasp.

It's familiar, because Dave has seen them do this almost every night, like an orchestrated dance, seeking each other even in sleep.

Something inside his chest aches, because if he is completely honest with himself, he wants to be there, too –despite how aloof and cool he acts all the time, he finds no shame in admitting he will gladly lose all acts and pretences to just curl up with them, holding them close.

He doesn't move, simply rubs his tired eyes once again, shifting on his cold chair, stretching his muscles to prevent cramps.

Unconsciously, his hand trails down to his sylladex, fingers clumsily brushing against the card containing his shitty sword.

Every night, he waits until they've settled down, making a show of stalling, gathering his discs, kicking the stray smuppets littering the floor, brushing his teeth a bit longer, leaving the bedroom to get something to drink… and then, he holds what small power he still possesses and stretches time forwards, just enough that they will fall asleep without noticing he's not there.

When he's sure everything is fine, he silently makes his way to the chair he's long since claimed for his nightly watches, sits on it, eyes focused on the bed –on his friends, on his family–, with a careful eye towards both the window and the door, and waits.

It's a ritual nowadays, and it's been so long he's almost forgotten how many days he's spent like this, refusing to sleep, carving every detail in his mind, waiting for… waiting for something he doesn't even know.

John snores softly, in bouts, makes amusing nose grunts, and one day Dave will champion them for some of his raps. Jade only snores when she sleeps on her back, but it's very rare; she moves around a lot, though, kicking and stretching like a dog. Rose is quiet, so quiet Dave sometimes is afraid she'll stop breathing, but her chest still moves softly, up and down, the corner of her mouth twitching every now and then.

None of them know. How could they? Dave has been careful, oh so careful not to get caught, and he's sure he's done a good job with it.

He doesn't really sleep at night.

Ever since the Game ended, he's only slept for no more than one hour, unable to keep his body relaxed enough.

The Game calls him –his muscles remember, his brain ticks with the sound of Time, just like John Breathes and Rose Sees and Jade Senses space, and it's like every cell of his body has a code written into it, where all he can see is danger, and he can't let them go because if he does, something will come, and they will not be safe.

He'll fail to protect them again.

Part of him knows it's stupid –the Game has ended, they are safe now…

He still refuses to sleep.

If he closes his eyes, if he dares to let himself go, all he sees are their bodies scattered around, despair rising within his chest, choking him slowly.

No, he can't sleep. He has to make sure they are ok. It's his job to protect them.

They're all he has –they're all he needs or wants, at least for now (probably forever, he silently admits) and he knows it's selfish and stupid, but he's a selfish person, and doesn't care.

The Game cannot reach any of them anymore, but it has left an imprint that he is unable to forget.

Blood and swords and darkness and–

Pain because he failed again and again and again

Spin the turntables, rewind, try once more–

John snores, and the sound echoes through the silence and into Dave's mind, startling him out of his thoughts, grounding him to reality again.

They are all alive. They're all breathing.

It's ok to keep watch, as long as he can watch them sleep, as long as he knows he will be ready if something –anything– happens.

Breathe in, breathe out, seconds stretching forwards, until the night is gone.

When morning comes, and one of their parental figures shows up uninvited to wake them, Dave will be the first one up, like always.

He'll be ironic and cool and aloof, things will be normal, and another day will roll by.

Dave promises himself this will be the last time, just like he's promised the same thing for the last two months.

It's just one more night, then he will stop.

Just one.

Rose awakes to the first rays of sun mercilessly falling on her face, and she grunts, muttering a soft curse without opening her eyes.

Someone has left the window's curtains open again, and she will make sure they will suffer through her long winded speeches throughout the whole day; with this clear in her mind, Rose pushes her head away from the light and blinks, sitting up on the mattress.

She's not aware exactly what time it is, but the soft lights from the world outside seem to indicate it's barely sunrise. Far too soon to be up.

Jade is curled against her, arms wrapped around her hips, and John's head is peeking from behind Jade's mass of hair. Both are still asleep, and Rose smiles down at them.

Then she looks up, and freezes.

Dave is sitting on the chair facing the bed, head pressed against the wall, and he's sleeping.

The sight is surprising, but not unexpected. Rose stills, eyes focused on Dave's soft, even breathing, and waits for a long time to see if he'll startle himself awake.

He doesn't. Dave seems completely lost to the world, shades abandoned on the nearby table, and Rose can see the bags under his eyes clearly, even at that distance.

Gently, without looking away from him, she shakes Jade awake.

"Hmmjghrnn… wha…?" Jade blinks a couple of times, finding herself face-to-chest with Rose, then looks up with a perky grin. "Goodm–mmmmgrgh!" her cheerful grin gets muffled by one of Rose's hands.

Jade considers playfully biting down on that hand, but stops when Rose nudges her head to the side, and when she looks, Jade almost squeals in delight.

She kicks John away from her, and he stumbles down on the mattress spluttering, suddenly awake and waving his arms everywhere until both girls pin him down and make him shut up, stuffing his mouth with the corner of the blanket.

He's clearly disgruntled at having been awoken so abruptly, but when he sees Dave, he brightens up instantly, and pokes and prods at Jade until she elbows him.

"You're such a kid," she huffs, but she's smiling and moving her hands carefully, and John shuts up and lets her concentrate.

They all have some of their powers left from the Game, but nowhere near as strong as before, and it takes a lot of energy for Jade to do tricks that came so easily to her before. She tenses, closing her eyes, and Rose and John watch her, waiting.

There is a flicker surrounding Dave, and then he's gone from the chair, reappearing right between Rose and John, on the bed.

John is smiling so much Rose is afraid his face will crack, and Jade is clapping her hands softly, feeling proud of herself, and Rose smiles fondly back at them both.

Gently, she touches Dave's skin. It's cold, so with the help of Jade and John, she tucks him into a bunch of blankets, until he looks comfortable and warm, then piles up all the remaining blankets and pillows around him, and settles down, one hand pressed on his stomach.

Jade and John curl up on the other side, one with her head on John's stomach, and the other with his head on top of the blankets where Dave's chest is, and Rose digs her fingers in John's hair while she seeks Jade's hand with her other.

They are still silent –the whole thing took them nothing more than ten minutes at most, and they managed to do it without waking Dave.

They are the stealth ninjas –it's them.

Rose knew it would happen –after going so long without sleeping, using his powers to stretch time, it was _bound_ to happen. _Of_ _course_ they knew, Dave wasn't as transparent as he thought himself to be.

But they also knew that he was coping with things on his own, and confronting him about his lack of sleep would only make him deny the truth, so they decided to wait until his body decided it was time to give in.

This way, he will be unable to escape, nested between them all, trapped in a cocoon of blankets, sleeping.

It is going to be fine.

"Mmmmh… m' tired…" Jade yawns without bothering to cover her mouth, and snuggles more into Cocoon-Dave. "Don't wake me up until lunch…"

John is already sleeping, and Rose snorts softly.

With a deep, relieved sigh, she curls more into Dave and falls asleep as well.


End file.
